1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to network audio distribution systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to network speakers for network audio distribution systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, most audio speakers are passive devices that receive an analog or digital audio signal. A few advanced models have limited self-diagnostics that can be communicated out over additional wire runs as well. These speakers are usually wired to racks or source switching pre-amps and amplifiers. The problem with this approach is that these systems are not very flexible. It is hard to expand the audio sources that can be heard through the speakers embedded in walls or other places after the system has been installed without buying and installing additional costly components. Other audio sources include as home control system voice communication, intercom audio, soundtracks for CD-ROM games, solid-state sound memories. Digital audio broadcasting systems, and even Internet audio can not easily be added and routed through to the existing speakers at a future date if the existing system was not originally designed to input and handle it. This is mostly due to the ongoing proliferation of new audio compression formats. High-quality digital audio data takes a lot of hard disk space to store (or channel bandwidth to transmit). Because of this many companies have worked on compressing and or coding of the bit stream to allow for a smaller binary footprint. This allows for high quality music to take up less storage space and to be transported across vast networks with a smaller amount of data, and therefore less bandwidth. However, these new compression and encoding formats require that uncompression and decoding be performed to reconstitute the original audio before it is played out the loudspeaker. If an existing audio system is limited to reconstituting only audio formats known at the time of installation, the audio system quickly becomes obsolete.
Many new products have wireless network capabilities, but still cannot be easily connected into a home network, because of a lack of easily accessible wireless to wired network bridging within range of the device. This can especially be a problem if the wireless device is a handheld mobile unit such as a PDA, and due to a lack of access points, can not communicate from all rooms in the house.
The current approach to controlling audio and doing home automation is often cumbersome. The sound system remote that allows the room audio level to be adjusted does not allow the room lights to be dimmed. Therefore, different remote controllers for each function are needed. Nor do users like the “wall clutter” created by putting separate multiple audio and other home network control units in the walls. Wireless solutions to this problem such as Radio Frequency, known as RF, or Infra-Red, called IR, have limitations. The biggest limitation for RF is that in many large cites, the RF noise background is very high, creating communication problems, and there may be health concerns with excessive RF. The IR limitation is that IR is effective in “line of sight” only, and the home automation devices to be controlled may be in other rooms. These problems are compounded in retrofit situations where die minimal changes that affect the current building and existing systems are desired.
It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a networked speaker, so that an audio distribution system can be created that is integrated with the home automation system into a home network that permits vocal feedback, status, and even control with the audio through the network speakers. The network should let the user know what is happening, and provide very intuitive instruction on how to use the system. This will enable the audio speakers to easily adjust to and allow new audio sources and to become wireless access points in the home, or provide the wireless bridge to the hard-wired network.